Top Best Criminal Defense Lawyers | 26025 Available

Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It's a very mean and nasty place, and I don't care how tough you are, it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain't about how hard you hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward; how much you can take and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done! Now if you know what you're worth, then go out and get what you're worth, but you gotta be willing to take the hits, and not pointing fingers saying you ain't where you wanna be because of him, or her, or anybody. Cowards do that and that ain't you. You're better than that!

James A. Spokes is Partner at The Scott Law Firm, LLC in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. His primary practice is in the area of criminal defense in both state and federal courts throughout the State of Louisiana, with a specialization in representing non-citizen defendants facing potential immigration consequences.. Additionally, he serves on the Criminal Justice Act (CJA) Panel in the Middle District of Louisiana and he also practices in the areas of personal injury and immigration.

I have devoted my career to defending those accused of crime and to obtaining recovery for those injured due to the fault others.. As a criminal trial lawyer I have successfully litigated cases as small as municipal court misdemeanors through the most consequential involving large quantities of narcotics, federal gun offenses or homicide.. During my undergraduate years at LSU and through law school at Southern University Law Center, I worked for personal injury firms that specialized in representing victims that suffered significant personal injuries.  I took that experience with me when I joined our firm in 2004 and becoming a partner in 2006.. I am a lifetime member of Louisiana Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys.  I am one of a very few attorneys in the State of Louisiana that have been asked to be a member of the National College of DUI Defense.  I am also an active member of the Baton Rouge Bar of Criminal Justice.. I have been a guest speaker at seminars hosted by the Louisiana Public Defender Board, The Baton Rouge Association of Woman Attorneys and the Baton Rouge Bar Association, Family Law Section.. Through my criminal defense practice, I developed specializations in the following:

Scott H. Nettles grew up in Holden, Louisiana.  He attended Tulane University in New Orleans where, in 2007, he graduated magna cum laude from the A.B. Freeman School of Business with a Bachelor of Science in Management with majors in Finance and Legal Studies in Business.  Following graduation from Tulane University, Scott attended Tulane Law School in New Orleans, Louisiana, where he was a recipient of the Dean’s Honor scholarship for his academic achievements and was a member of the Civil Law Society.  Scott graduated cum laude from Tulane Law School in 2010, obtaining a Juris Doctor and receiving a certificate in Civil Law.  While attending Tulane Law School, Scott served as an intern to the Governor’s Office of Executive Counsel and as an intern to the Honorable Judge Dawn Amacker for the 22nd Judicial District Court.. Following graduation from Tulane Law School, Scott was admitted to practice in all Louisiana State Courts and entered private practice, where he has focused primarily on the area of criminal defense.  He is a member of the Louisiana State Bar Association, the American Bar Association, the Baton Rouge Bar Association and the 21st JDC Bar Association.

Many people ask me "when did you decide to become a lawyer".  It goes back to when I was a teenager and my sister died because of the neglegence of doctors during "routine" wisdom teeth extraction.  My sister, Marcae, suffered a violent reaction to  general anesthesia and after several wrong decisions by her doctors, she passed at the age of 20.  My parents were thoughtful people and sought help and education so that my brother and myself would be protected from similar fates during our lives.  They received some wonderful help from many, and not so much from others.  There were lawyers involved who completely botched their duties as advocates and counselors.  After a poorly handled malpractice case was dismissed, my parents were confronted with having to fight the battle of legal malpractice.  My father was an extemely intelligent man who was a giant in his field of expertise, but he felt helpless in dealing with this most difficult life circumstance.  I knew from watching him deal with these events that I did not want to experience such roadblocks in my life and, in fact, I wanted to help people manuever through the minefields that confront them in life. My entire career in the practice of law has been to help people during the most difficult moments in their lives. I will continue to fight these fights.

I am here to listen to you and your family.  When the criminal justice system has your family under siege, I want to be there for you!  Our firm has the experience and the fire power to handle the most serious of cases. As a part of your team, I will provide your family with an open line of communication, a vigorous legal defense and a strategic plan to successfully navigate the case.

Call Beau at our law firm of Brock & Palmintier Law. 33 years of experience including as both a prosecutor and defense attorney.. My major fields of practice are criminal defense, DWI, sex crimes, domestic violence, family law, protective orders, environmental criminal defense, environmental civil compliance, and car accidents.. I'm here to defend you from the moment the police begin their investigation all the way through trial, when necessary. If you need a lifeline in a moment of crisis, I am there for you and your family. As a former prosecutor, I know how the Government will attack you, and I know how to fight back!. Beau has practiced law for 33 years in Louisiana.. Previously, he worked at the private law firm of Manasseh, Gill, Knipe & Belanger from 2011 - 2019. Before entering private practice, he was employed at LDEQ as a member of the Secretary’s Executive Staff from 2008-2011. From March 1999 – February 2008, he worked as Regional Criminal Enforcement Council for the Environmental Protection Agency and provided in-house legal oversight to all Federal criminal investigations conducted in Louisiana by the EPA Criminal Investigation Division. Prior to joining EPA, he served as an Assistant District Attorney for East Baton Rouge Parish from October 1991 – March 1999, and was lead counsel on over 50 successful jury trials.. In 1988, he graduated from Louisiana State University and from the L.S.U. Law Center in 1991. He is a member of the Louisiana Bar Association, Baton Rouge Bar Association and is an Associate member of the Baton Rouge Association of Women Attorneys. Beau is a frequent lecturer on professionalism, criminal law and environmental law and policy issues. Beau believes strongly in committing to our community and has served as a volunteer at his church, several schools, the YMCA as a basketball, volleyball, soccer and tennis coach, and as a charity fund-raiser.. In addition to recently publishing a book on coaching middle school & youth basketball, Run to Win: The Mongoose System: Coaching Middle School & Youth Basketball, (available online directly from amazon.com), some of the law review articles and materials he has published include the following:. • Andre Belanger, Beau James Brock, The Practice of Criminal Defense, Principles of Why We Fight, 257 Around the Bar 10 (September 2011). • Getting to Know Some of Baton Rouge’s Young Criminal Lawyers, 257 Around the Bar 20 (September 2011). • Don’t Tread on Me! Greenhouse Gases Must Never Choke American Freedom, 3 Regent J.L. & Pub. Pol’y 139 (Spring 2011). • Leviathan Menacing the Gulf Coast: Catastrophic Consequences May Imperil the Rule of Law, 18 Buff. Envt'l. L.J. 131 (Fall 2010). • Modern American Supreme Court Judicial Methodology and Its Origins: A Critical Analysis of the Legal Thought of Roscoe Pound, 35 J. Legal Prof. 187 (Spring 2011). • Beau James Brock, Peggy Hatch & Vladimir Alexander Appeaning. Ph.D., Protecting Our Most Vulnerable Communities: Louisiana Wastewater Infrastructure Recovery, 18 U. Balt. J. Envtl. L. 1 (Fall 2010). • Hanousek v. United States: Social Engineering Encroaching on Individual Liberty, 245 Around the Bar 18 (May 2010). • H. Leggett, B. Brock, The Moral Limits of Jurisdiction, 27 Environmental Forum 32 (May/June 2010). • Iconography and the Polite Art of Saying Nice Doggie, The Bencher (July/August 2009, p. 10). • A Profile of the District Attorney’s Office, East Baton Rouge, LA, 36 The Prosecutor 42 (March/April 2002). • Interview With A Prosecutor: Capitol Punishment Issues in the Capital City, 165 Around the Bar 12 (March 2002). • The Current State of Environmental Criminal Enforcement in Louisiana, An Insider’s View, 162 Around the Bar 14 (Dec. 2001). • Professionalism Lost: Where have you gone Atticus Finch? Our Nation turns its lonely eyes to you..., 156 Around the Bar 10 (April 2001). • Comment, Mr. Justice Antonin Scalia: A Renaissance of Positivism and Predictability in Constitutional Adjudication, 51 La. L. Rev. 623 (1991).

Professional Legal services are available, as I gladly welcome and appreciate my valued returning clients and new clients.. SKILLS: Including, but not limited to, manage law office and clients; organize and maintain multiple office files; mediation and negotiation; analyze and interpret legal concepts; represent clients and utilize respective elements of codal articles and case law; conduct thorough research within time constraints and accurately report those results; conduct document review including that of confidential documents; schedule and facilitate depositions; trial preparation and trial representation; effectively work with a team of attorneys and office staff to deliver solutions to client base; consult with attorneys, other legal and law professionals and social service agencies to provide holistic approaches to client advocacy; understanding and utilization of generalist social work practice; mental health training, counseling and representation; juvenile justice and advocacy; child in need of care representation; diversity research and training; political campaign participation; business formation and consultation; federal housing program training and hands-on assistance; use of databases for organization and report creation.

I am a solo practicioner in Baton Rouge, LA. I have practiced primarily in family and criminal law, although I have a general practice. I have a slogan for my law office that I follow in life, which is to "go the distance so that justice may be served." When I am not practiing law, I enjoy bowling, movies, music and anything else that won't keep me bored.

Since 2000, my Gretna law practice has served clients in the greater New Orleans metro area.  I have handled cases in Jefferson Parish, Orleans Parish, St. Bernard Parish, Plaquemines Parish, and LaFourche Parish.  In addition to representing clients in criminal matters, I handle personal injury cases, domestic and family law cases, medical malpractice cases, and offshore injuries.. I work directly with the people I represent. Personal attention is what you deserve and what you can expect as a client.  When the stakes are high, choosing the right lawyer for you can be the most important decision you make. All of your legal options will be discussed with you to achieve the best outcome possible in your case.